When I go on a Guitar Retreat anywhere in the South of England, my good friend Paul Nicholas is kind enough to put me up for a couple of days before and after the weekend. Paul is a singer songwiter from Tredegar in South Wales and a regular tutor on Guitar Retreats and I've stayed with him many times. I had booked a Guitar Retreat in Ross-on-Wye for the weekend after my trip to Minehead and didn't really fancy a trip home and back after the ukulele weekend so I stayed with Paul for a couple of days.

When I visit, Paul always takes me to a local Folk Club or venue where he plays and I get a spot. This time it was The Redhouse in Merthyr Tydfil where I played a couple of songs on my ukulele and accompanied the resident band on a blues number at the end.

We also had a lovely drive and walk around the Abergavenny area and a trip to a local luthier - Richard Meryck - to get my guitar set up. We visited the ruin Llantony priory, before having lunch at the brilliant Bear Hotel, Crickhowell. Ii have a friend who is a fan of Half Man Half Biscuit, an 80s rock band of minor success. One of their songs is called "Lord Hereford's Knob" - we drove there just so that I could get a photograph of it for him!